WHO SHOT BIG PAPI?
The baseball world is in shock and disbelief.
First it was reported as an attempted robbery in a bar in the Dominican Republic. Then no. Surveillance video shows that it was a direct assassination attempt, from ambush, on David Ortiz, one of the most beloved sports heroes of our time.
Ortiz, better known as ‘Big Papi’, was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He has gone on to become one of the most recognized professional sportsmen on the planet playing baseball for the Boston Red Sox. Kids and adults alike look up to David Ortiz as an outstanding example of what a kid born into poverty can become, and what he can go on to mean to fans around the world.
Ortiz was standing at a bar in Santo Domingo talking with popular TV host Jhoel Lopez when a man entered the bar and shot him in the lower back, at point blank range, causing dangerous internal damage before the bullet exited through his abdominal region, perhaps striking Lopez as well. ‘Big Papi’ was rushed to the nearby Clinica Abel Gonzalez for emergency treatment. Thankfully, though it cost him a gall bladder, the wound proved not to be fatal.
David Ortiz has a very big family. Not just down in the Caribbean and at home in Boston, but including also the entire ‘Red Sox Nation’ family, from which flowed first shock and outrage, followed by an overwhelming show of support for their iconic local hero. The love and respect that ‘Big Papi’ has garnered among his fellow big leaguers in his 20 years in professional baseball is evident from their varied dismayed reactions to this senseless tragedy.
Emotions here run strong. Friend and colleague Pedro Martinez could not hold back the tears while praising his former teammate on his MLB TV program. He was not alone. Outrage and disbelief abounds around Boston and the entire MLB community as concern and love flow out for ‘Big Papi’. Everyone has a version of the same question, ‘Of all the people to shoot, why David Ortiz’? It’s hard to make sense out of it.
Ortiz played 20 years of Major League Baseball as a first baseman and designated hitter. That in itself is quite an accomplishment. Add to it three World Series championship rings and being named to the MLB All-Star team 10 times. Oh yeah, he is also a seven (7) time Silver Slugger Award winner and holds the Red Sox single season home run record at 54, set back in 2006.
Ortiz received immediate and abundant support from the Red Sox organization as well which had him flown to Boston where a second surgery procedure was done leaving him in stable condition and out of danger.
Gracias a Díos.
Get well soon ‘Big Papi’. You have a lot of people pulling for you.
